Protecting John Yoo

This morning I tweeted (@andrewsross) an item about UC Berkeley’s Boalt Law School policy of keeping the times and location of controversial former Justice Department lawyer John Yoo‘s classes confidential, and linked to a Daily Californian story.

I got a note this afternoon from Susan Gluss, the law school’s media director, explaining the background to the policy.

“There’s a precedent for protecting class info at UC Berkeley,” she wrote. “In 1982, a bomb in a faculty lounge on campus seriously injured a professor. The university subsequently hid the location of that prof’s class — and his name — for years. It’s a public safety issue.”

Gluss also asked me to post law school dean Christopher Edley‘s comments on the matter:

“Students have the right to take courses from Professor Yoo without interference, including disruption or intimidation. I have specifically asked my staff and the University Police to make reasonable efforts to prevent such disruption or intimidation and, if unsuccessful, to arrest trespassers.

” .. But let me state plainly: This fidelity to academic freedom and our notions of excellence does not mean that students, staff and faculty are obligated to stand mute or ignore the controversy. Protests that do not interfere with teaching and learning, and have no purpose or effect of intimidation, are certainly permissible.”